Governor Inuwa Pays Another Trenche Of Gratuity Backlog To State Retirees

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Governor Inuwa Pays Another Trenche Of Gratuity Backlog To State Retirees

...Distributes 250 Tricycles To NULGE Members In Gombe 

For the third time in less that four years,  Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has paid another trenche of outstanding gratuity of state retirees left by the previous administration.


The Gombe had earlier today, flagged off the payment of 1.6 billion naira as back log of gratuity to 2016 retired civil servants.  


Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the commencement of the issuance of cheques to the retirees, the Governor reiterated his resolve to ensure that the retired civil servants get what they deserve from the Government.


He stated that despite the meagre resources available to the State, his administration would continue to bring relief to the entire populace in the State and its senior citizens.


The Governor equally used the ceremony to distribute 250  tricycles, popularly known as KEKE NAPEP to members of the National Union of Local Government Employees NULGE in the state as part of his ongoing empowerment programme.


Om the payment of gratuity, he explained that the 29 billion naira being the total accumulated arrears of pension and gratuity for both the State and Local Government retirees came about due to the insensitivity of the immediate past administration in the state to prioritise the welfare of the retired civil servants.


The Governor emphasized that while his administration will do everything necessary to settle backlog of pension and gratuity left by the immediate past administration in the state, retirees affected by the inactivity ought to be fair and just while assessing his response to matters of post service renumeration. 


He said since coming into office his administration has been mindful of the challenges faced by retirees in the state hence his resolve to dispassionately assess the entire process for effective and systematic payments of the entitlements.  


Governor Inuwa Yahaya remarked that his administration remains committed to the payment of gratuity, just as the consistent and prompt payment of salaries and the implementation of the thirty thousand minimum wage.


To this end, the Governor instructed the Gombe State NLC Chairman and his counterpart in the Pensioners' union to work out modalities for the payment of outstanding gratuity of retired Local Government staff for appropriate action.  


He said inspite of the debt burden and other financial challenges hanging on LGAs in the state, his administration will not develop a cold feet towards the settlement of pension and gratuity arrears of Local Government retirees.  

 

The Governor explained that for matters of pension and gratuity to be divorced from administrative gaps and fraudulent activities, workers in the state must embrace Contributory Pension Scheme which is now the new normal across the world.


The State Auditor General, Mohammed Buba noted that since coming into office Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has consistently been paying the backlog of pension and gratuity to retirees beginning from 2014, 2015 and 2016.


He said over 800 retirees are expected to benefit from the 1.6 billion naira earmarked for the payment 2016 retired civil servants in the state. 


"The government met alot of liability and out of sympathy the governor is paying in batches. We appreciate him, surely he has the intention to offset the gratuity which is to be paid to all retirees".


The Gombe State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Adamu Musa thanked the Governor for putting the issues of pensions and gratuity in the front burner of his administration. 


He described the administration of Governor Inuwa Yahaya as a labour friendly one given his prompt payment of salaries and implementation of the thirty thousand minimum wage. 


The Gombe NLC Chairman called on the people of the state to vote for Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in the forthcoming general election so that retirees in the state can continue to reap the fruit of their labour and the full actualization of oil exploitation and the overall integrated development project in Kolmani area of the State. 


Earlier in an address in of welcome, the Special Adviser to the Gombe State Governor on Human Capital Development, Barr. Sani Ahmad Haruna said 250 tricycles given to the NULGE formed part of the Governor's resolve to boost the economic status of the people of the state through human capital development.  


Alkali Ahmadu and Aishatu Haruna who benefited from the empowerment programme, commended Governor Inuwa for prioritising policies and programmes that have direct direct bearing on the lives of the people.

Credit : Ismaila Uba Misilli _ Government House Gombe

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